


Brain Freeze

by Gobayern16



Series: Star Wars Whumptober 2020 [21]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Near Death Experiences, Near Drowning, Podfic Welcome, Whump, Whumptober 2020, frozen river
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gobayern16/pseuds/Gobayern16
Summary: The ice cracks further. Rex loses his precarious grip, plunges back under into the freezing river. But he has no strength left. He tries kicking but his body won’t obey, exhaustion overwhelming him. He closes his eyes, chokes on the water in his helmet.I’m sorry, Kit.
Relationships: Kit Fisto & Original Clone Character(s), Kit Fisto/CT-7567 | Rex
Series: Star Wars Whumptober 2020 [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948018
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55
Collections: Randomness





	Brain Freeze

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Whumptober Prompt #21: I don’t feel so good - Hypothermia  
> Thank you to the wonderful RogueLadyVader for beta-ing!

Rex studies the frozen river critically. Fifteen meters wide, it’s the last obstacle standing between his squad and their rendezvous with General Fisto. Rex can’t tell how thick the ice sheet is, but he can faintly see the current moving. 

He looks to either side, futilely hoping to find a bridge or something else they can use to safely cross. But all he sees is endless white snow.

He turns back to the river, weighing their options. They’re already behind schedule, the huge snow drifts slowing them down and wearing them out. (After the tenth time unexpectedly sinking in waist-deep, even Fives had lost his good humor.) If they try to find a river crossing... Who knows how long it would take — if there even is anything to find.

_ No, _ Rex thinks with rising trepidation,  _ the only way is across. Force, I wish we had our jetpacks. _

“Right,” Rex says decisively, turning to his ARC squad. “We’re going to have to cross here. Since we don’t know how thick the ice is, we’re going to go one at a time, at different points of the river. Any questions?”

They shake their heads. “No sir.”

“Fives, you first. Then Echo and then Jesse. I’ll go last.”

Fives hesitates briefly, then squares his shoulders. He moves to the river’s edge and carefully steps onto the ice. They all hold their breath, waiting to see if the ice will hold.

After several tense moments, Fives starts across the river, slowly and methodically moving his feet.

Rex doesn’t breath until Fives is safely across, though he tenses again as Echo steps up, three meters to the right of Fives’ path.

Rex watches helplessly, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, knowing if something were to happen he’s most likely too far away to do anything. It ratchets up his stress levels.

Echo makes it across with no problems, and Jesse doesn’t hesitate when it’s his turn. He slips once, sending Rex’s pulse skyrocketing. He manages to regain his balance, everyone waiting with bated breath for the ice to crack. When nothing happens after several long moments, Jesse continues moving and makes it to the other side with no other mishaps.

And then it’s Rex’s turn.

Taking a fortifying breath, Rex steps out onto the ice. He slides his feet forward, pausing after each step, heart thudding in his ears.

He’s just past the halfway point when a loud  _ CRACK! _ shatters the silence. Rex freezes, adrenaline surging. He forces himself not to shift his balance, keenly aware of his worried ARCs.

Nerves humming with tension, Rex slowly slides one foot forward, carefully redistributing his weight. He slides a second step, a third —

The ice gives way in a thunderous cacophony.

Rex has one moment of horrified realization before he’s plunging into the icy river below. 

The freezing cold punches the air from his lungs. He sinks like a rock, armor pulling him down. The current tugs at him, threatens to pull him away from the hole in the ice. Rex panics, struggling to swim back to the surface with limbs like lead. The cold attacks his muscles, freezes them. He desperately pulls himself up, clawing at the ice.

Rex surfaces, chest heaving, lungs burning. Already his teeth start chattering, whole body shaking, threatening to dislodge his grip on the ice.

Over the roaring in his ears Rex can vaguely hear his troopers yelling. But all he can focus on is holding tight. The cold saps his strength, steals his breath. His fingers and toes are numb, the lack of feeling spreading rapidly up his limbs.

The ice cracks further. Rex loses his precarious grip, plunges back under into the freezing river. But he has no strength left. He tries kicking but his body won’t obey, exhaustion overwhelming him. He closes his eyes, chokes on the water in his helmet.

_ I’m sorry, Kit. _

Just as Rex feels the darkness swallow him, an invisible hand grips him, yanks him up. He feels weightless, like he’s floating.

He barely feels it when he lands, when his helmet is pulled off. There’s noise everywhere, an indistinct roar that hurts Rex’s ears. He’s so  _ cold _ and  _ tired _ and he just wants to  _ sleep _ , but some instinctive part of Rex’s brain screams at him to stay awake.

*******************

Kit clutches Rex to his chest, teror spiking at his lover’s ghostly complexion and blue lips. He feels dim in the Force, a light on the verge of going out.

Painless’s voice snaps him out of his haze of fear.

“Get the Captain in the tent and completely undressed, and put him in the sleeping bag.”

Kit hurries to obey. He’s quickly joined by two of the Torrent ARCs, both of them hastily stripping as well. They jam themselves in the sleeping bag with their Captain, cursing as they come in contact with his frozen skin. 

Kit can only watch from the side as Painless flits about, tucking all of Rex’s extremities securely against his brothers. A trooper bustles around them, turning the portable heating units as high as they’ll go.

As the tent heats up, Kit keeps his eyes on Rex, hoping desperately for some sign he’s getting better. Painless feels equally tense, kneeling beside the Captain with his hand on his pulse.

What feels like an eternity later Rex jerks, startling Kit. His joy at his lover’s movement quickly turns to panic as Rex keeps shaking violently.

“Painless, what’s happening?” Kit asks worriedly.

“Don’t worry, sir, this is really good!” Painless hurries to assure him. “Captain Rex is shivering, a human’s reaction to being cold, a way to warm themselves up. When a human’s body temperature drops below a certain temperature, it stops shivering because it uses too much energy. So this is a really good sign that the Captain’s core temperature is rising again.”

Kit can sense nothing but truth and relief from his medic. He turns back to his lover, lek-tresses twisting anxiously.

He holds a silent vigil as the minutes stretch on, Force-sense centered on Rex. Slowly his presence strengthens again, returning to its former vibrancy and brightness.

Kit lurches forward as Rex stirs, as he finally,  _ finally _ , opens his eyes.

“Rex,” Kit breathes, relief clogging his throat. Rex smiles weakly. 

Painless bustles forward, breaking the moment. Kit blinks bewildered at the steaming mug he seems to produce from thin air.

“It’s good to see you awake, Captain. You had us quite worried.” Painless sits down at Rex’s head, propping him up slightly. “Drink. It’ll help warm you up faster.”

Kit hovers to the side, eyes greedily drinking in his lover’s face, the cheeks that are no longer terrifyingly pale. He moves to Rex when he finishes drinking, lays a hand on the crown of his head and simply breathes.

He wants to hug Rex, pull him in tight and never let go.

Rex blinks sluggishly at him, already exhausted again. Kit soothes him, brushes  _ love _ and  _ tenderness _ and  _ peace _ over his Force signature.

“Sleep, Rex. You’re safe now. We’ve got you.”

Rex hums contentedly, eyes slipping shut. The two ARCs bracketing him seem to curl impossibly closer to him, as if punctuating Kit’s statement. 

One last pulse of love and affection, and Rex succumbs to his exhaustion, safe in the presence of his lover and his men.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos greatly appreciated. :)
> 
> Thank you to SonicFairyspell13 for letting me borrow their clone OC Painless.
> 
>  **Permissions:** All my works, including this one, can be translated and podficced without first asking my express permission. I ask only that you credit me as the original author and provide a link back to the original work. For anything else, please ask first. Thanks.


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